LGBT+ groups banned from marching in Utah 4th of July Parade

The organisers of a Freedom Festival in Provo, Utah – a parade to celebrate America’s Independence Day – have banned LGBT+ groups from marching. Several LGBT+ groups applied for the march, including Provo Pride, Provo PFLAG, Encircle, Queer Meals, and Mormons Building Bridges, they have all been denied.

Festival director Paul Warner said in a statement that the groups did not meet the guidelines outlined by the festival, which was that all signage and messaging should be solely focused on celebrating America. He said these groups pushed “their special interests and agenda” too far.

“The Festival firmly stands for equal opportunity. However, the parade is a 4th of July celebration of America, not a special interest-oriented parade,” he said.

Encircle’s chief program officer, Jordan Sgro, spoke of the damage this rejection does to the local LGBT+ community: “(It sends a message) that their community doesn’t love them, that their community doesn’t care about them. Once again, we are left without words when watching the blatant discrimination that has occurred. We are certain that our Provo community would embrace and love our LGBTQ youth, friends, and families if we had been included in this year’s parade.”

Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams added: “The disconnect between the Freedom Festival’s word and action is as astonishing as it is disappointing.”

In response, Utah County Commissioner Nathan Ivie has threatened to pull some of the event’s public funding unless the LGBT+ groups are allowed to march. Utah County donated $100,000 to the Freedom Festival after it signed a non-discrimination agreement with the organisers.

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